14 minute read
Feeding & Accessories
Image courtesy Bibado
Everyone needs to eat! However, there are many anxieties new parents have - whether this be breast/bottle feeding or weaning. Fortunately as a product category, brands have it covered!
Nursery Today asked Vital Baby’s Senior Product Development Coordindator, Hannah Juniper what are the common anxieties new parents have when it comes to breast/bottle feeding, weaning and self feeding? “We all know that breastfeeding baby is nature’s way, however the reality is that it is not always possible for mum to breastfeed their baby for a number of reasons. Sometimes the stigma around bottle feeding and pressures to breast feed can lead to anxieties around bottle feeding. Am I doing the best for my baby? Will bottle feeding harm my baby’s development? Should I feed expressed Breastmilk or formula? Then comes bottle acceptance. Whilst babies are ‘hardwired’ to suckle, not every baby is compatible with every bottle, so parents are then faced with the challenge of finding the right bottle for their baby with just trial and error to help them.”
And what about weaning, does this also cause worries for parents? “Just when parent’s think they’ve got it cracked, weaning comes along!” said Hannah. “Weaning can be an overwhelming journey for parents and babies. Babies are exploring new and exciting tastes and textures and parents are naturally concerned that their baby is getting the correct foods with the right nutritional values. The key to successful and worry-free weaning is to be able to relax and enjoy the fun. For that, your product choice is very important.”
Bibado’s Founding Director, Rachel Wood agrees commenting: “I think many new parents go through similar emotions and anxieties when feeding their baby. Parents have gone through one of the biggest life changing events possible, by bringing a new life into the world. Feeding our babies, when you
Food for thought
Feeding little ones comes with many parental anxieties - more so perhaps for first time mums especially when the transition from breast to bottle occurs, then weaning onto solids and teaching infants how to self feed. We spoke to those in the know for their thoughts on this category.
think about it, is probably one the most time consuming (certainly in the early days), challenging and at times a stressful part of the journey of early parenthood, although it can also be one of the most rewarding. I still get goose bumps when I remember the milky smiles I had from my daughters after a happy breast feed. I cried when eventually at the age of one my daughters no longer wanted it anymore, they were ready for the next stage. As a parent, a skill which is ever evolving, is being ready to embrace whatever it is your baby needs at the time they need it, whether or not you are ready for it. It certainly kept me on my toes in my own journey as a parent.”
What about product ranges? We asked Rachel if she felt we had sufficient products available that assist. “The advantage of living in a more globalised
society is that we have the ability to share ideas, products and services more easily than we have ever previously been able to do. As a brand we have the ability to learn from other companies which assist us to keep thinking of new ways to evolve what we do. Currently there are some amazing products on the market for parents in the feeding space but there is always the opportunity to improve and re-imagine what we can do to help parents and babies on the journey into the wonderful world of food - and the messy curiosity and exploration that goes along with it.”
When we look at products available within this category, are parents looking for co-ordinated ranges from brand names? “When designing our ranges, it was important to us that we took everyone’s needs in to account – both baby and parents.” Said Hannah. “Take our NOURISH feeding & weaning range for example - everything about weaning and feeding development is gradual and can change from week to week. One week babies struggle to bring their spoon to their mouth and the next they could be feeding themselves! Because of this, we’ve made sure that our product ranges grow with babies and parents at the same time, and that there’s a product for every stage and age.”
Rachel believes modern parents are also seeking style commenting: “Aesthetics are really important to parents today, they expect ranges to look and feel the part of a modern
family aesthetic. Since we released our Handi Cutlery to match our new Bibado Coverall designs, the feedback has been amazing! Social media gives us better insight than ever into our customers tastes as we get to see our products in action in their homes, which no brands pre-social media could say.”
Is innovation important in this category and well catered for when we look at the continual development of feeding products that are designed to assist parents and ease any concerns? “Innovation is hugely important.” states Rachel. “As a brand we are extremely lucky that we are deeply connected with parents today. Social media provides us with amazing levels of communication with customers who tell us the good and the bad about our products. Through this level of insight and feedback, it gives us the opportunity to improve and refine our products, as well as create new ideas for new products which our community want. We are so pleased that they are happy to be involved, our community have always been our biggest cheerleaders as well, which is so humbling. They share in our success when we create a product which they love.
“As well as this level of connection with the audience, it is also important to us to keep up to date with the thought leaders in childhood development. Experts in the fields of baby and childhood development help find new and innovative ways to engage babies in the feeding space.”
While on the subject of social media, we asked Hannah whether she felt this can sometimes confuse parents? “Parents love to share experiences, gain knowledge and reassurance from each other. With so many blogs, influencers, brands and hashtags out there, it is hard for parents to get away from it and can sometimes be confusing. I guess the main thing for parents to remember is to not compare themselves to other parents too much… every baby is different, so take you’re your journey one step at a time.”
What about retailer benefits to those who stock products that fall within the feeding category? We posed the question to Hannah for her thoughts. “One thing is for sure, every baby will need to be weaned at some point. So if you’re a nursery retailer or you have a nursery department in your store, you don’t want to be missing out on the sales that feeding and weaning can deliver. For stores that have historically focused on bigger purchase items, weaning can deliver easy incremental sales opportunities. There are lots of choices out there, so be sure to make your selection stand your store or section out from the crowd, giving you that critical point of difference to your competitors.”
Rachel Wood, Bibado
Highs and lows of feeding
The Feed Me Deli Hi Lo highchair is easy to use and perfect for any occasion.
Suitable from six months of age, the Feed Me Deli has a large and well-padded wipe clean seat with five-point harness, removeable tray and a handy foot rest for toddlers. The six-point height adjustment allows for various ways to encourage happy meal times both at the table and from the floor. If baby nods off for a nap, the Feed Me Deli can also be gently reclined to three different lie back positions.
01454 326 555 www.redkitebaby.co.uk
Sterilise at the Speed of Light! With Nuby’s range of UV steriliser’s you can sterilise anything and anywhere in just 3 minutes. If the power of UV sterilisation wasn’t enough to WOW you, Nuby’s award winning UV range sterilises in just 3 minutes! Using ultraviolet light, means no water, microwave, chemicals, cooling or drying time! Mind… blown! The stylish and versatile range has options for at home, on the go and even dummy sterilisation, to kill 99.9% of germs, superfast. Perfect for busy parents! These game changing sterilisers are great for all your baby accessories – bottles, teethers, dummies and even household items like your phone and keys! The compact and modern design not only looks great in any kitchen, it takes up very little space on your counter and is also super easy to clean. Ideal if you like a clutter free home – just wipe down and put away after use.
www.nuby-uk.com
Designed to grow
The snacker 2in1 from Joie is a versatile chair that easily meets the tall order of growing kiddos through every mealtime milestone.
Easily converting from highchair to table chair, the snacker 2in1 allows you to customise their seating for a prime position every time.
The snacker 2in1 has an adjustable tray with 3-positions – perfect for accommodating children of all shapes and sizes. When you’re ready to move on to the next stage the tray can easily be removed to allow your kiddo to experience their first tastes of family meal time around the table.
The snacker 2in1 folds easily with one hand into a slim, freestanding fold that will slip into even the smallest of spaces – making tidy up time quick and simple, so you can get on with the fun.
01889 808 900 Email: uksales@joiebaby.com
Instant feed at the press of a button
New UK feeding brand bubbi proudly announces new innovation.
Bubbi has designed the first instant-feeding dispenser that fits an everyday wide-neck feeding bottle.
Squirrel is ideal for the nighttime and travel feed and a great low-cost alternative to ready to drink cartons with no packaging waste.
The Squirrel adaptor is suitable for many wide neck bottles and teats, for example Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature.
Squirrel is not yet available. Bubbi is a pre-start-up business and is looking to hear from retailers and wholesalers, feeding bottle manufacturers and investors to bring the product to market.
powder.dispenser@gmail.com www.bubbi.co.uk
Handi cutlery to have!
Bibado complements product range with the addition of Handi Cutlery.
Bibado has recently bought out a new range of weaning cutlery, featuring a unique no-drop system by attaching to their Bibado Coverall. The thinking behind the concept was to support little one’s development and exploration around food, whilst trying to make it easier and enjoyable for everyone. The cutlery features a grippy fork and contoured spoon to aid development of a pincer grip. And the ‘no drop’ system allows little one’s to drop (or throw!) their cutlery as many times as it takes for them to get the hang of it. Available in 6 designs to match each Coverall.
enquiries@bibado.co.uk
The Red Kite Travel Booster is a compact and super light portable booster seat that is perfect for mealtimes on the go.
Safety straps and adjustable 3-point harness ensure that little one is always safe and secure. The lightweight foam cushion with non-slip rubber feet is comfortable to sit on and the wipe clean fabric is easy to keep clean. The Red Kite Travel Booster converts smartly into a stylish bag with shoulder strap and features a handy storage pocket for all of baby’s essentials.
01454 326 555 www.redkitebaby.co.uk
Feeding on the go
Perfectly styled
Meet multiply 6in1, a dinner date plus play date all in one; this highchair has every mode imaginable from 6 months, up to 6 years.
Starting from a baby mode highchair up to a maxed-out highchair, then converting to a mini table with every mealtime milestone in between; finally, converting to a booster seat, portable booster and toddler play table! Multiply has all the ingredients to cleverly re-mix into a perfectly sized and suited mini-table designed for toddler’s playtime, art time and dream away time. As a booster seat it can travel along to dinner dates when in the booster mode - with a quick tuck away and easy tidy up design. Up, down, all around - height adjusts to fit quickly growing little ones and varying table heights with a total of 5 height adjustments.
www.joiebaby.com
Wave hello to natural feeding
Lansinoh Feeding Bottles with NaturalWave Teat are specifically designed for breastfeeding babies so that a baby can still have expressed breastmilk even when away from mum.
Available in 160ml and 240ml, all bottles encourage natural oral development and are clinically proven to reduce nipple confusion. Lansinoh’s NaturalWave Teat facilitates peristaltic tongue movement, which baby uses during breastfeeding, ensuring baby goes back to breast when mum is back.
The 240ml bottles are also available in a pack of 2 for £11.99. Alternatively, Lansinoh also has a Feeding
Bottle Starter Set, which includes 1 x 160ml feeding bottle, 1 x 240ml bottle and all 3 sized NaturalWave teat for £15.99.
www.lansinoh.co.uk
Bibs made from plastic bottles!
Close have parents covered from those early milk filled days through to those first foodie moments with their low impact feeding range.
Their newest addition Apron bibs, landed this Summer and offers parents the same great performance and materials as their popular coveralls, just without the sleeves.
Claire Morris Sales Director says ‘We have found parents often want something a little lighter over the warmer months for both BLW weaning and play, our new Apron style is a great addition, perfect for summertime weaning and play’. We love the endangered characters on these Close bibs but most of all we love their green credentials, each bib repurposes 3-4 plastic water bottles!
Get ahead of the curve
Ergobaby Natural Curve Nursing Pillow gets ahead of the curve in comfort and support.
The Ergobaby Natural Curve Nursing Pillow is uniquely designed to help properly position baby tummy-to-tummy for a healthy latch and firmly elevated to save parents from slouching. The premium, plush fabric is soft and gentle on baby’s skin while the cover easily zips on and off for quick changes and the easy carrying handle makes transporting the pillow a breeze. Also suitable for bottle feeding and tummy time, the pillow gives carer and baby the enduring support needed to relax, nurse comfortably and bond.
service@ergobaby.co.uk
Claire@closeparent.com www.closeparenttrade.com
Vital for feeding
Vital Baby NOURISH – the home of baby weaning.
As parent’s themselves the team at Vital Baby have been on the weaning journey a few times and through personal experience have developed their NOURISH weaning and feeding range to help tackle all the bumps in the road that they faced. Vital Baby NOURISH is the home of baby weaning, including all the latest developments for every stage of a child’s development. With a fair few awards under its belt and designed for progression, there’s a product for every stage and age, from first purees through to independent feeding.
